- This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 4 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
I own a townhouse in a complex approximately 28 years old. The complex was built in 2 separate lots. There are 23 houses, 21 are owner/occupiers.
I bought my house in 2007 so have been here 11 years. The Strata committee is a gang of bullies who are all original owners I.e. they bought their houses when the first lot was sold. They are all retirees and have lots of time to gossip, bitch and backstab. Ok now that’s off my chest????
I have ruffled their feathers over the years by calling out the cliquish behaviour e.g. they approve work for each other quickly, the Chair contracts his own handyman and builder when his house needs work, the rest of us have to get 2 quotes etc.
We had a change of agent in 2014 when I discovered the previous agent had ripped us off for close to $20000 over the years. The Strata committee was upset with me because this agent had formed a cosy friendship with them over the years and turned a blind eye to their shenanigans.
The new agent was appointed late 2014 and for the first 16 months did a brilliant job. Unfortunately the agency decided to give us another agent who can only be described as laissez faire. Now, because I am perceived as being the troublemaker I have been punished by lengthy delays in getting repairs done to my house. I reported cracks in the internal walls and was told by the secretary to “go away”. I then sent an email to the agent reporting the cracks, tree problems, and other repairs and sent a monthly email asking for action. This was for over 3 years!!!
In May this year the membrane in my shower unit eroded causing major water damage to the ceiling below (laundry). I reported it to the agent who did the right thing and treated it as an emergency. A plumber was sent out the day after I reported it and he completed a report and a quote to waterproof the shower, replace the tiles to 2 levels, replace the stack pipe in the plumbing and replace the laundry ceiling, cornices, and water proof this and paint the ceiling. The agent sent the quote to the Strata committee and they wouldn’t approve it as, in their opinion, it wasn’t an emergency. Their view was because I have an ensuite this didn’t count as an emergency. I haven’t been able use the laundry and have been going to a laundromat so I thought it was an emergency. Anyway they asked for second quote so the agent got a quote to mega seal the shower. I asked him how that can fix the plumbing and laundry ceiling. His response was “we will worry about that after the shower is fixed”. I questioned the point in megasealing the shower if the tiles would have to be pulled up for the plumbing – no response. I asked him if the laundry ceiling would be covered by insurance since the ceiling was ok until the shower flooded it. His response was “it may or it may not – that’s up to the committee”. So, to keep a very long story short I had a quote for megasealing and then one of the committee showed some common sense and realised I would have to get 2 quotes for plumbing, 2 quotes for the ceiling etc. and this would be onerous on me, so long story short, 12 weeks after I reported the damage they finally approved the original quote!
There is quite a history here and based on patterns of delays in getting repairs actioned in a timely manner I lodged a complaint with Fair Trading who said it has to go to mediation. The mediation date has been set however I have not been advised who will be attending from the other side I.e. if it will be just the agent or if a committee member will attend, if so how many. So the question I am asking is – can anyone tell me what expect at the mediation session? I have not heard great reports about Fair Trading mediation so want to go there knowing what to expect. I have all my records to prove that I wait for unreasonable time frames to get repairs actioned and the outcome I want is to be treated fairly and reasonably with repairs actioned in a timely manner. Should I take a support person? Will the mediator allow me to demonstrate the petty behaviour of these people, of course, without being petty myself? What happens at mediation?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.